34 of our Favorite Thanksgiving Leftover Ideas

Thanksgiving Leftover Ideas: Stew with Turkey Dumpling

If you cannot eat the whole turkey, don’t throw the rest into the wastebasket because it can be used in making some truly delicious preparations. Check out this post Thanksgiving Leftovers: Stew with Turkey Dumpling to know how to use the turkey leftover in a delish way. Enjoy a stew with tasty dumplings and rich broth!

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1. Thanksgiving Leftover Recipe: Roasted Turkey Cobb Sandwich Recipe

Making sandwiches, soup, and meals are the only solution if you are left with a huge amount of leftover turkey. How does a roasted turkey cobb sandwich sound? Great, right? Well, we have this Leftover Thanksgiving Idea: Roasted Turkey Cobb Sandwich Recipe in our archive that will show you a way of using the leftover turkey mixed with the goodness of tomato, avocado, smoked bacon and crumbled blue cheese.

2. Turkey Tostadas with Cranberry-Chipotle Sauce

Do you still have enough leftover turkey? Great! We have yet another recipe for you that can be made with the turkey leftover. Find the recipe here: Turkey Tostadas with Spicy Cranberry-Chipotle Sauce Recipe. This delicious Mexican preparation will spice up your taste buds and change the way you think about leftovers!

3. Use that Leftover Turkey for a Leftover Smoked Turkey Nachos

Wanna indulge yourself into another spicy Mexican recipe? Well, these nachos made with leftover turkey, salsa, and cheddar cheese soup will satisfy your spice craving. Get the recipe for this quick and easy-to-make preparation from Leftover Smoked Turkey Nachos Recipe.

4. Thanksgiving Turkey tastes delicious in this White Chili with Roast Turkey recipe:

This recipe is the perfect way to relive the Thanksgiving craze! Different types of peppers, spices, and herbs mixed with leftover turkey meat will present you with a sumptuous soup to gulp on! Get the recipe here: White Chili with Roast Turkey or Chicken.

30 Thanksgiving Leftover Recipes from Blogger Friends:

1. Turkey Pot Pie
2. Corn & Cheddar Mashed Potato Fritters
3. Turkey a la Sweet Potato
4. Crustless Sweet Potato Pie
5. Sweet Potato and Chickpea Salad {Gluten-Free, Vegan}
6. Kraft Thanksgiving Leftovers Casserole
7. Thanksgiving Leftover Casserole
8. Sweet Potato Praline Quesadillas: Easy Leftovers Treat
9. Slow Cooker Leftover Turkey Chili Recipe
10. Thanksgiving Leftovers Turkey Nachos
11. Thanksgiving Leftovers Stuffed Bell Peppers
12. Leftover Turkey Meatloaf
13. Leftover Thanksgiving Turkey Recipe – Turkey Wraps
14. Leftover Turkey Sandwich
15. Turkey Enchilada Casserole with Salsa Verde
16. Turkey Casserole
17. Oven Baked Turkey Sandwiches
18. Delicious Leftover Turkey Soup
19. Turkey Cranberry Quesadillas
20. Cran-Apple Turkey Sandwich with Thanksgiving Leftovers!
21. Leftover Turkey Chili
22. Turkey Salad Sandwich
23. Easy Dinner Recipe: Chicken (or Turkey) Divan
24. Cranberry Pecan Turkey Salad
25. Healthy Turkey Salad with Grapes, Apples & Walnuts
26. Turkey Tetrazzini Recipe
27. 3-Ingredient Leftover Turkey Stew
28. Holiday Leftovers? Try this Creamy Turkey Casserole
29. Turkey and Stuffing Casserole
30. Thanksgiving Leftovers in a Mason Jar

This round up of Thanksgiving leftover recipes will produce some fantastic preparations made with leftover turkey and vegetables. They will bring you compliments and save you from throwing food away.

What leftover recipes would you add to the list?

Thanksgiving Main Dish: Honey Glazed Ham

Ingredients

• ½ cup clover honey
• 1½ cups of packed light brown sugar
• 1 bone-in smoked ham (10 pound)
• 2 tbsp of Dijon mustard
• ⅓ orange, juiced and zested
• ⅓ cup of pineapple juice
• ¼ ground cloves

Instructions

1. Alter your oven racks to hold a big roasting pan. Place a shallow roasting rack on the pan. Preheat your oven to 350⁰
2. Rinse the ham under water then place it on the rack inside the roasting pan.
3. Cover it with foil and bake for 1 hour and 40 minutes.
4. Mix the honey, brown sugar, cloves, pineapple juice, orange zest, orange juice, and Dijon mustard in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat till the sugar dissolves and the mixture is smooth.
5. Pour the honey glaze over the ham and roast for 1 hour and 40 minutes more. Baste the pork twice with the glaze while it’s still in the roaster. The total roasting time for the ham should be 20 minutes per pound.
6. Check if the ham is done by inserting a meat thermometer into a meaty spot. If it displays 160⁰F, it’s done.
7. Leave the ham for 15 minutes before slicing to let the juices set. You can also make it 2 hours in advance, cover with foil, and serve when it cools.

If you’re tired of cooking Turkey, try this Thanksgiving main dish. The glaze is delectable and will blow your guests away. If some is left, mix it with a little flour and pan drippings and make a lovely sauce to go with the meat. You can use the ham and bone drippings to make soup later.

What Thanksgiving recipe sides will you be serving with your ham?

How to Make a Perfect Thanksgiving Turkey Recipe

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Thanksgiving Turkey Recipe Ingredients:

1 fresh turkey (frozen will do too)

2 sticks of unsalted butter that has been softened

2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped fine

1 tbsp dried sage

1 tbsp dried thyme

1 tbsp sugar

1/4 tsp paprika

1/8 tsp ground cloves

Freshly ground pepper

Salt

Thanksgiving Turkey Recipe Directions:

1. Remove the neck and giblets from the turkey and rinse it under cold water. Pat dry.
2. In a bowl mix 1/3 cup salt, sugar and pepper.
3. Rub the mixture all over the turkey and in the cavity.
4. Place the turkey overnight in a refrigerator on a rimmed baking sheet.
5. Rinse well and pat dry.
6. Mix butter, paprika, sage, thyme, parsley, ground cloves and a little pepper.
7. Keep aside a little of this butter mix for later.
8. Rub in the mixture under the turkey skin, breast and legs. Let it stand for about 30 mins at room temperature.
9. Preheat the oven to 350°F and place the turkey, breast side up on the lowest rack in a large frying pan. Tie the drumsticks together.
10. Roast until the skin is golden brown and the thermometer reading is 165°F in the turkey thigh.
11. Transfer onto a cutting board and let it rest for about 30 more minutes.
12. Carve it the way you want to serve and top it with the reserved butter mix.

Want more Thanksgiving Turkey Recipes?

Try these delicious twists on your traditional turkey recipe.

We love The Pioneer Woman’s Simple Turkey recipe here.

Country Living’s 25 Best Thanksgiving Turkey Recipes are a must try.

Plan on Thanksgiving Turkey Leftovers!

Try making this Turkey Cobb Sandwich – the perfect way to enjoy leftovers.

This Dry Brined Turkey With Butter & Herbs Recipe can be served with your favorite accompaniments, be it mint chutney or a hung curd and mayonnaise dip or anything else you like. The idea is to relish the subtly infused flavor of herbs with turkey. Do let us know if you have some suggestions to make this recipe more than a meal.

For more Thanksgiving recipes on Stagetecture, click here.

22 of the Best Make-Ahead Thanksgiving Recipes

1. Caramelized Onions with Herbs Recipe

Looking for a Thanksgiving recipe that’s simple yet delicious? Look no further. This scrumptious dish will tantalize your guests’ taste buds. It will also enhance the main dish – turkey. What’s more, it also goes well with fresh bread. When making it, ensure you use fresh ingredients. Follow the directions in this post: Caramelized Onions with Herbs Recipe.

2. Cornbread Dressing Recipe

No doubt about it, Turkey is the focal point of a Thanksgiving dinner. However, it’s the side dishes that make the meal. If you want to make a side dish your guests will remember for years to come, look to this one. While it takes a time to make, the results are truly worthwhile. Make your very own with this recipe: Thanksgiving Side Dish: Cornbread Dressing Recipe.

3. Make-Ahead Appetizers Recipes

Appetizers can make or break your Thanksgiving dinner. They can wow guests and make them look forward to the other courses. If you want to delight your guests from the get-go, look to this post: Make Ahead Appetizers recipe. It includes 3 great appetizers that are easy to make. This year, start your dinner off on the right foot with any of these recipes which don’t disappoint.

4. Make-Ahead Turkey Gravy Recipe

One of the most important Thanksgiving dinner dishes is turkey gravy. Good gravy makes for a great dinner. When you make this gravy, you won’t scramble to make some when the turkey comes out. This gravy is so good you’ll want to make it other times of the year, not just on Thanksgiving. For a great outcome, use this Make-Ahead Turkey Gravy Recipe.

18 Thanksgiving Recipes from our Blogger Friends

1. Simply Delicious Turkey Gravy
2. Crockpot Apple Sausage Stuffing
3. Creamy Fried Confetti Corn
4. Heavenly Dinner Rolls
5. Maple Pecan Sweet Potato Boats
6. Broccoli Casserole
7. Herb Roasted Tri Colored Carrots
8. Cranberry Orange Sauce
9. Garlic Herb Mashed Potatoes
10. Vegan Creamy Kale
11. Sweet Potato Salad
12. Green Bean Bason Casserole
13. Mom’s Simple Stuffing for Turkey
14. Honey Orange Glazed Carrots
15. Candied Sweet Potatoes
16. Holiday Side Dish Green Beans
17. Fennel Orange Roasted Beets
18. Herb Roasted Potatoes and Green Beans

When most people think of Thanksgiving dinner, they think of the turkey. But Turkey is not the only thing people eat at the Thanksgiving table. Guests enjoy the appetizers, the side dishes, and dessert. Don’t pay too much attention to your turkey and forget everything else. Prepare these other Thanksgiving dinner recipes and make your dinner incredible.

Which Thanksgiving recipes are on your menu this year?

Thanksgiving Dessert: Chocolate Pecan Pie Bars

Image Via: Averie Cooks

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Prep Time:  20 minutes

Cook Time: 70 minutes

Yield: 24 bars

Ingredients:

For Shortbread Base:

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour

1 cup butter, softened

½ cup sugar

½ teaspoon vanilla (or almond) extract

For Filling:

4 tablespoons butter

2 eggs

1 cup corn syrup

1 cup dark brown sugar

2 tablespoons bourbon (Optional)

½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 ½ cups halved pecans

Image Via: Bake or Break

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a mixer, beat together the butter and sugar for the shortbread base. When the butter is pale and fluffy, add in the vanilla extract.
3. Then, slowly add in the flour until a cohesive dough forms.
4. Press the dough into an ungreased 9×13 baking dish and transfer it into the oven. Let it bake for 20 minutes or until the dough is just set.
5. While that bakes, melt the butter for the filling and let it cool completely.
6. Add the melted butter into a bowl with the eggs, corn syrup, brown sugar, bourbon, and chocolate chips. Stir to combine.
7. Pour the filling over the cookie base and spread it out evenly.
8. Top everything with the pecan halves.
9. Transfer the bars back in the oven for an additional 40-50 minutes.
10. Allow bars to cool slightly before cutting and serving.

The urge to bake is pretty much irresistible during the holiday season. However, not all of us are professional pastry chefs, which is why we love bar recipes so much. They’ll be just as delicious whether you make them from scratch or take a little help from the grocery store. If there’s no time to make the shortbread base of our chocolate pecan pie bars, you could easily pick up refrigerated sugar cookie dough. Don’t forget to pick up some whipped or ice cream for extra decadence.

What are your family’s favorite Thanksgiving desserts? Have you ever tried a new twist on a traditional recipe? Tell us all about it in the comments.

For more Thanksgiving inspiration, check out Stagetecture’s archives.

Cranberry sauce undoubtedly a Thanksgiving staple, but that doesn’t mean you have to settle for the same canned good year after year. If you’re in the mood to switch things up, look no further than this citrus cranberry sauce recipe. Fresh orange, lemon, and lime pair together to give the cranberries a bright acidity, while brown sugar adds sweetness and ginger lends a hint of spice to this holiday citrus cranberry sauce recipe.

 Holiday Citrus Cranberry Sauce

Image Via: Tip Junkie

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Ingredients:

36 ounces of cranberries

1½ cups of brown sugar

3 large oranges

1 lemon`

1 lime

1 cup of water

2 tablespoons of grated ginger

½ teaspoon of ground cloves

Preparation:

1. Juice the oranges, lemon, and lime.
2. Reserve a tablespoon of orange zest and a teaspoon of lemon zest for later.
3. Peel and grate the ginger.
4. In a saucepan, bring the cranberries, brown sugar, water, and juice to a boil.
5. Reduce to a simmer and add in the ginger, cloves, and zest.
6. Cook for about twenty minutes until the cranberries have burst and the sauce has thickened, stirring occasionally.
7. Serve at room temperature.

Image Via: Cookbook Meals

Other than the taste, the best thing about this recipe is that it can be made in advance of the big day. When stored in an airtight container, it will keep in the fridge for a week. But, if you’re feeling truly ambitious, feel free to make a double batch and freeze the other portions to use throughout the holidays.

For more food recipes on Stagetecture, click here.